Harness or drop-box chain



F. L. FURGAL HARNESS OR DROP BOX CHAIN Dec. s, 1925. I 1,565,085

vFiled Feb. 9, 1925 I5 frana?? for: Jn/f E59@ Z' .2s/v Hwang/s.

Abm/@M Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED sTATEs FRANK L. FURGAL, GF WARREN, MASSACHUSETTS.

HARNESS R DBOP-BOX GHAN.

Application filed February 9, 1925. Serial No. 7,733.

To all Iw/zom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK L. FURGAL,

a. citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county ofllorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulHarness or Drop-BOX Chain, of which the following is a specilication.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a form of link for aloom chain of the character described which can be assembled much morerapidly than has been the case heretofore and which will remain in placewithout danger of becoming dislodged after it is once connected with thepins of the chains. The invention also involves an end connection forconnecting the two ends after the chain has been assembled that far.Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.Parts of the invention are capable of general application to chains ofother types.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is aplan of a harness or drop boX` chain constructed in accordance with thisinvention with one of the sets of balls and spacers in section;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. i is a side view of a part of the chain showing one link in placeand the second link in the initial position which it occupies in puttingit into place;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the first motion necessary to bring thenew link into proper position;

Fig. 6 is a similar View showing the final position of the new link; and

Fig. 7 is a view of the end connecting link as shown in Fig. 2 but withthe locking member turned to permit insertion or removal of the pins.

The invention is not intended to change the operative parts of a harnesschain but AI employ the pins 10, balls 11 and spacers 12 arranged asusual except that the pins .are provided with chamfered ends 13 on theinner sides of the necks 14 preferably to facilitate the assembly oi theparts. Also the extreme ends of the pins are chamfered at 15 to make theinsertion into the eyes of the links more easy.

having a keyhole slot comprising a circular The chains are made up oflinks 16 eachl end 17 located at one end of the link and substantiallyconcentric with that end which is shown semi-circular. The slot has anarrower'straight portion extending from this circular perforation to apoint at the center of the other end of the link concentricwith hat end.This narrow slot extends substantially throughout the whole length ofthe link except for thel end portions which bound it. All the links aremade the same except the locking link which will be mentionedhereinafter.

lin assembling the parts, a pin 10 is provided with the balls 11 in thenecessary places and these are spaced apart by the spacers 12 as is wellunderstood in this art. Assuming that Several links have been assembledwith the pins, it will be understood that one of the previouslyassembled links shown in the horizontal position in Figs. il, 5 and 6 islocated with `its circular perforation 17 in the position indicated inFig. I?, with respect to the necks of two pins. These two pins are atthe extremities of the slot'18 and the one that is now being put on isas far away from the other as it can go and' located in the circularpart i7 of the key slot.

This is the same position as indicated in Fig. 4 except that now a newlink 16 is put on. These circular perforations are large enough to goover the end of the pin 10 and it is put on in that way on the outsideof the horizontal link shown. This new link is put on in either verticalposition or at some angle to the horizontal. It will be seen at thispoint that the circular openings 17 of both links are located on thesame pin 10. This new link is the outer one and it is pushedlongitudinally to the position indicated in Fig. 1 or some similarposition so that the narrow part of the slot will come under the head ofthe pin and receive the neck of the pin through it which fits itloosely. New the horizontal link cannot be taken olf in this directionand it cannot move back on account of the ball or spacer just back ofit. The final step in assembling this link is to turn it about the pinso it comes into the position shown in Fig. 6. Then the next pin is putthrough and the next link added in the same way.

I have foundin practice that this is a very expeditious and simplemethod of assembling these chains. Even without practitl tice it takes4less,tinie thairthe ordinary methods and with practice skill isdeveloped which permits ot the assembling:y ot the whole chain withgreat rapidity. After the links are assembled, they cannot come olf onaccount ot the relative positions justy above described. Each link islocated slightly at an angle except the last pair on each end. But thatmakes no diliierence in the operation-ot the chain. i Thenecks'arefinade long enough to hold the links in this angular position.Av

The twoends ot the chain are connected together by iy pair -ot lockingllinks 20 one 'toi-each side. Eiiclilocking link is provided with twokeyhole `slots -21 located syin .nictricallv in 'their opposite ends.llach ot these slots has a circular portion ot the same. size as thecircular opening 17 and .a slot 22 extending' theretroni forming alongitudinal portion of less width terminating' like. the slot 18"described inA a semi-circle concentric with the semi-circular end of thelink. rlhe distance apart-` ot the ends oit these scnii-circics'is thesame as two centers ot the two pins sh'own in Fig. 3 which is a littlegreater than the dista-nce between the two centers ot' thetwoiends oitthe slot in that tigure. The relationship between the links loand 20 .issuch that the distance between the two centers otv the semi-circles atthe ends ot the two slots inthe link 2O is equal to the distance betweenthe corresponding` pointflG at: oneend and the Apin 2O located in theenlargement 17 at the other. This is the-@pitch 'of the chain.

At the center of thelink 20'a docking member 23 is pivoted by means of a`headed rivet or the like. This locking member is simply pi'ovided'withtwof endjedges 24 whicluwhenlin locking position shown in 'Figs land 2,prevent theA dislodgnient of the pins from their'respective slots. Atone end itis provided with an integral lip 25 constituting a handle bykwhich it can be turned with a pair of pincliers or the like.

Another :feature otthis locking'` member is the provision ot vtwoprojections 26 onthe l,inner surface thereof at equal distances tromthe, center and adapted to enter the two slots 2l when it is turned tolocking position as shown Vin Fig. 2. On account of the tact that thislocking member has alittle resiliency and the fact that theseprojectionsare simply I'formed by prick punches or the like so as-to have conicalsides, it is possible to turn this locking member on its pivot by meansot a pair ot pinchers into the position f shown inlig. 7 .tor assemblyand. rdisassembly.- It islalso possible to turn itb'ack into in positionrespectively. One is. shown on each ot the chains which go to make upthe be inserted inthe lockingA link when it is in the position shown inFig. 7 until the necks come into the plane ot the link. Then they can bemoved outwardly in opposite directions and they will come into aposition in which they are at a distance apart equal to the pitch oi'vthe chain with the necks in the narrow slots 22. Then the locking`meinbei' can be turned to the position shown in Fig. 2 in which its endsoverlap the large portion otl the two keyhole slots to prevent thedisengagementot the pins. ln this place the projections 42G just `comeinto the `'nearest edges ot the Itwo keyhole slots and hold it againstaccidentally turning.

Although I have illustrated ,and described only a single torni loitithveinvention, I am aware of the tact that modilications can be .madethereinbyl any person lskilled in the art. without departing` it'rom thescope ot the invention aseXpressed in the claims.

A`l`lieretore I do ,not wish to be limited to the' details hereindiscloserh but what l do claim is L i lQAs an article of manufacture, achain comprisinppins, balls and spacers assembled together. each pinhaving` a'reduced neck y,ncarthe end, and links tor connectingl said.throughout the length ot the link'and constituting' its only means tor,receiving' the pins and provided with an enlarged circularE portion atone end ot theslot ot sailicientsize tolreceive the largest diameter otthe pin, said links being'arranQed'along the ychain with the enlargedportions ot the slots located at the saine end.

As an article ot n'ianutacture. a chain comprising` a series of pinshaving a reduced neck atlthe end, a series of lin is eachextending.'trom one 4neck `to the next one` each link havingalongitudinal slot exteilidingr substantially throughout the length olthe link of a width suliicient to receive the neck ot a pin, and eachlink beinprprovided with an enlargement at the end ot the slot otya'sliape and 'sizeA to receive the end ofthe pin beyond the neck andi solocated that when the parts are asseinloled the necks ot two adjacentpins will lie atthe extreme ends ot a single.- keyhole slot. I

.3.111 a haiiiiess chainy for a loom, the combination with la series ofpins` havinfi` reduc-ed inecks at. each end, ot a .link connectingeachtwo adjacentpins, each link having; a long slot extending' substantiallythroughout.l its length and yot a width to receive'one. of-.the necksitreely and havthe prosition'shownin Fig. 2 to lockthe parts ing'. anenlarged circular openingat its eX- treme end for receivingtherein theend ot the; pinlzspo that it can ,be put over'the end and engage theneck thereof, said'link being' located at a slight angle to the pins andllt) having the next link at one end located on one side of it and thenext link on the other end located on the other side of it.

l. In a loom harness chain, the combination with a series of pins havingreduced necks near each end, of series of links each having a keyholeshaped slot extending substantially throughout the length thereof, eachlink being so located that it will bear on the outside of the next linkat one end and receive the neck of that pin in the narrow part of theslot at the extreme end and will be located at the inner side of thenext link at the other end and receive the neck of another pin in itsenlargement at that end and will be prevented from disengagement by thenext link which is located in the narrow part of its slot at that end.

5. As an article of manufacture` a link for a chain consisting of a flatpiece of metal having a keyhole slot therein having a circularenlargement at one end and a longitudinal opening of uniform width eX-tending therefrom substantially to the other end, the ent-ire slotextending all the way from one end of the link to the other andreceiving a pin at each end at the same time.

G. As an article o-f manufacture, a locking link for a chain comprisinga flat link having two keyhole slots one at each end having theenlargements of Said slots in circular form and smaller portions thereofextending therefrom outwardly toward the ends of the links and havingthe centers of the ends of each smaller portion a distance apart equalto the pitch of the chain, whereby the pins of the chain can. beiutroduced through the enlargements and then moved outwardly.

7. As an article of manufacture, a locking link for a chain comprising alink having a keyhole slot at the end having an` enlargement in circularform and the smaller portion thereof extending therefrom outwardlytoward the end of the link, and a locking member pivoted on the link andhaving its end in such position that when turned to a longitudinalposition it will overlap the enlargement of the keyhole slot so as toprevent the accidental removal of a pin therein. i

8. As an article of manufacture, a locking link for a chain comprising alink having two keyhole slots one at each end having the smallerportions thereof extending` outwardly toward the ends of the links andhaving the centers of the endsl of each smaller portion a distance apartequal to the pitch of the chain, and a locking member pivoted on thelink at the center and having its ends in such position that when turnedto a longitudinal position they will overlap the enlargements of the twokeyhole slots so as to prevent the removal of pins therein, said lockingmember having a pair of projections on its inner surface in suchposition as to be adapted to just engage in the inner ends of the twoslots when located longitudinally and having an outer projection at oneend for use in turning' it.

9. In a loom harness chain, the combination with the pins, balls andspacers, of a series of links for connecting' the pins, each having alongitudinal slot with a circular enlargement at its end and having thedistance between the center of the smaller end of the longitudinal slotand the center of the smallest part of one of said pins held at theeXtreme end of the enlargement will be equal to the pitch of the chain,andy a locking link for the chain comprising a pair of keyhole slotseach having a circular enlargement of the same size and a shortlongitudinal extension. outwardly therefrom to such a point that thedistances between the centers of the ends of the smaller parts of saidslots of the locking link are also equal to the pitch of the chain.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afxed my signature.

lFRANK L. FURGAL.

